Spool container



F. J. HOLSTED SPOOL CONTAINER June 12, 1951 4 II P l llll III;

Filed Oct. 8, 1947 INVENTOR. 6 $4. A;

0 m m a H d y z 2 W F Patented June 12, 1951 OFFICE SPOOL CONTAINER Forrest J. Holsted, San Leandro, Calif., assignor to Forrest Engelhart, Danville, Calif.

Application October 8, 1947, Serial No. 778,526

2 Claims.

This invention relates to containers for enclosing and holding a group of devices such as thread spools.

An object of the invention is to provide a container of the class described which may be selectively utilized as a portabe spool carrier, as a storage box in which a group of spools may be maintained in orderly arrangement, or as a turret device adapted for ready attachment to a sewing machine so as to afford the operator thereof a selection of any of the various types of thread in the device for use in the machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide a container of the character referred to constructed of the fewest possible number of parts commensurate with simplicity of design and production.

A further object of the invention is to provide an enclosed container for spools or the like which is fabricated for the greater part of transparent material so as to afford the user a clear view of the contents or their particular positions or characteristics without the requirement of removing the cover of the container.

A still further object of the invention is to provide in a container of the type set forth, simple and effective braking means for the thread spools which serves to prevent overrunning of the spools when thread is being reeled therefrom at a comparatively rapid rate.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide in the class of device referred to a casing designed to insure that when a piece of thread is cut from a length thereof drawn from the casing, there will remain projecting from the latter a sufficiently extended portion of thread to enable the used to easily grasp the latter portion so as to effect a subsequent withdrawal of thread from the casing. V

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of the invention which is illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by the said drawings and description may be adopted within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure l is a perspective view of the spool container of my invention showing the cover there-- of partially removed so as to more clearly disclose the internal structure of the container.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional View of the container taken in the plane indicated by the line 2--2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a partial top plan View of the container with the cover removed.

In the form in which I have chosen to illustrate my invention, I provide a housing section '2 preferably molded as an integral unit from one of the clear or slightly tinted arcylate polymers so as to produce a structure having the highest possible or a reasonably sufficient degree of transparency to permit the user to clearly see objects positioned internally of the housing section. Specifically, the section 4 comprises a disk-like, preferably circular base 6 having a marginal wall '5' rising therefrom provided at peripherally spaced points with radially entrant recesses 8 of substantially semi-circular cross-sectional shape, the arcuate wall portions of which are provided with vertically-extending slits 9 opening at and descending from the upper edge of the aforesaid wall portions to a point substantially medially of their vertical height. The provision of the external recesses 8 in the wall 1 forms interjacent recesses II in the chamber [2 of the section 5 and substantially centrally confronting these latter recesses I provide axially vertical spindles l3 preferably molded integrally with the base 5 and provided with pointed upper ends I l. The spindles it are preferably circular in cross-sectional form and are of such diameter that they will fit freely into the central axial bore of a conventional wooden thread spool so that the spool may be journaled on the spindle. The arrangement is such, as is indicated in Figure 3, that the largest diameter spool IE to be used in connection with the container will, when journaled in one of the spindles l3, amply clear the sides of a recess ll defined by the inwardly projecting walls of the exterior recesses 8.

Also preferably molded integrally with the base 6 and rising centrally therefrom through the chamber [2, I provide a preferably cylindrical post I! on which is adapted to be'reoeived the tubular stem N3 of a cover plate 19 having a perimetral contour of generally circular form and overlying and closing the chamber I 2 so as to exclude dirt or foreign matter from the latter and to retain the spools IS in engagement with th spindles !3 in the event that the container should become inverted. The fit between the post ll and sleeve I8 is comparatively snug so that the cover will be frictionally retained in place. The engagement however is not so secure that considerable physical effort will be required to separate the cover and container section 4 when access to the chamber i2 is to be gained.

As will be observed in Figure 3, the threads 2| from the respective spools l6 are led through the respective adjacent slits 9 into the recesses 53 wherein the user may grasp a thread end, reel as much thread as desired from the spool and out off the withdrawn length by means of a scissors or any suitable severing tool. It is the usual practice to lay the scissors tangentially of the container periphery across the particular recess 8 and cut the thread. This will leave a short section of thread projecting into the recess from the slit 9 so that the thread may be readily grasped for a subsequent withdrawal thereof. During the aforesaid withdrawals of thread lengths, it is very desirable to prevent overrunning of the spools, due to the rotational momentum imparted thereto, which might create a tangling of the thread about the spindle and interfere with the free movement of the thread. I provide simple means for effecting a drag on the rotational movement of the spools in a sheet 22 of felt, rubber or other material possessing a fairly high coefficient of friction, which overlies the base 6 at the bottom of the chamber [2 and on which the lower end surface of each spool bears. Thus the weight of the spool and its contentsv pressing the aforesaid spool end surface against the sheet 22 provides the desired and sufilcient braking effort.

The apparatus so far described may be utilized as a portable sewing kit accessory functioning to retain a selected group of spools in convenient arrangement for: readily dispensing the thread contained thereon and to prevent the bothersome unravelling or tangling ofthe threads such as usually occurs when the spools are promiscuously thrown together. However I do not limit the container to such restricted use since, by providing the post II with an axially-extending bore 23 opening at the lower surface of the base 6, the container may be readily mounted on the spool-supporting post of a sewing machine to serve as a turret rotatable on said post so as to station a selected one of the spools contained therein in proper relationship to the thread utilizing and stitch forming mechanism of the machine. An additional function is assigned to the bore 23 in that it forms a receiving recess for an interfitting circular button 24 provided on and located centrally of the cover l9 of a separate container; so that a number of the containers may be arranged one on the other in a vertical stack in which the various container units are dowelled together against relative lateral displacement.

The container ofmy invention, in spite of its complex form, is designed for production in the least number of parts, each of which is capable of being formed in a simple straight-draft mold devoid of any production complications. It therefore follows that not only is rapid production of completed containers facilitated but savings resulting therefrom may be reflected in the ultimate consumer cost of the article.

I claim:

1. A spool container comprising a housing section constructed substantially in its entirety of transparent material and having a wall bordering and defining a chamber in which may be placed spools of thread viewable from exteriorly of the housing section, said wall having peripherally spaced recessed portions alternate ones of said portions opening exteriorly of the housing section and interiorly thereof into said chamber, said wall further having therein slits providing communication between the chamber and the external recesses through which thread from the spools may pass into said external recesses, and means to receive and journal said spools of thread in said chamber adjacent the openings of the interior recesses.

2. A spool container comprising a housing section constructed substantially in its entirety of transparent material and having an end wall and a side wall bordering and defining an open-top chamber in which may be placed spools of thread viewable through said side wall from exteriorly of the housing section, said side wall having peripherally spaced recessed portions alternate ones of said portions opening exteriorly of the housing section and interiorly thereof into said chamber, a post rising from said end wall within said chamber, said post having a central bore therein adapted to receive the spool spindle of a sewing machine, a cover member of transparent material overlying and closing said chamber, said cover having thereon a tubular stem telescopically engageable with said post, said wall further having therein slits providing communication between the chamber and the external recesses through which thread from the spools may pass into said external recesses, and means to receive and. journal' said spools of thread in said chamber adjacent the openings of theinterior recesses.

FORREST J. HOLSTED.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 20,931 Bennett et al. July 20, 1858 410,175 McAlister Sept. 3, 1889 1,029,094 Ulmann June 11, 1912 1,228,623 Weiss June 5, 1917 1,283,024 Armstrong Oct. 28, 1918 1,997,426 Morse et a1 Apr. 9, 1935 2,340,184 Gray Jan. 25, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 26,443 Great Britain Dec. 3, 1903 

